Polymer Manufacturing Flashcards
What type of plastic can be reused?
Thermoforming plastics.
What are the names of the polymer processes?
- Line bending
- Injection moulding
- Extrusion
- Vacuum forming
- Blow moulding
Give a summarised process for line bending.
A line bender heats a sheet thermoplastic over a strip heater until it is soft. It can then be bent to a chosen angle. When the plastic cools it retains that shape.
Give a summarised process of injection moulding.
Molten material is injected into a mould. Once the plastic has called and set hard, the mould is opened to release the shape.
Give a summarise process of extrusion.
A continuous flow of plastic that is pushed through a dye to produce a specific shape or profile.
Give a summarise process of vacuum forming.
A mould is placed in the former and a sheet of thermoplastic is clamped over the mould which is slowly heated to be soft. The former is then raised and the air is sucked which draws the plastic taking the shape of the mould.
Give a summarised process of blow moulding.
A tube of softened plastic is fed into a hollow mould. The parison is pinched at the bottom so it can be filled with warm air and it inflates to fill the mould taking its shape.
What are example products that use line bending to be made.
- Display stands
- Garden furniture
- Binders
- Acrylic tables
What are example products that use injection moulding to be made?
- Toys
- Bottle caps
- Surgical devices
- Jewelboxes
What are example products that use extrusion to be made?
- Pipe/tubing
- Fencing
- Deck railings
- Window frames
What are example products that use vacuum forming to be made?
- Plastic bath tub
- Plastic utensils
What are example products that use blowmolding to be made?
- Water bottles
- Shampoo bottles
- Jerry cans
- Plastic drums
- Automotive air ducts
